-- They partially fault "initiating reserve deployment in an unconventional manor" (sic). But it isn't clear whether the reserve was popped by pulling on the cable under the pin cover flap or not; they need to talk to the folks in Sweden more. The first frame of the video they received does show the rig on the ground and the pin in a person's hand, but it isn't clear what happened before that. Was the pin pulled manually with the rigger's hand perhaps against the top flap as Aerodyne suggests, or was the pin pulled the normal way, the pilot chute didn't launch, and then they put the rig on the floor and got out the camera?

-- They show the "excessively long" loop to be 7/8" above Aerodyne's specs. (But see my next point too! - it isn't that much.) But how much actual slack was there? That is, before pulling the pin, how much could a rigger compress the pilot chute and pull up excess loop? Plenty of rigs have loops that are above some manufacturer's spec, some of which are more realistic than others. The loop sounds longish but I wonder if that amount should be considered dangerous for an ideal rig.

-- Aerodyne claimed: "Typically, we would use a 115mm (4 ½”) with this combination." This specification is below any in the manual whether for a smaller, medium, or large size reserve. And the specs are shown only for Smart reserves. Looking in my Icon manual dated August 2011 (which is still current), it shows loop lengths of 12.0 to 14.0 cm for the Smart 150 to 175 reserve, in an Icon I5. Although the rig is an I5, we haven't been told what reserve was in use. If it isn't a Smart reserve, then there is no exact directive as to what the proper loop length will be. (The loop in the incident was 13.7 cm, within the range suggested for the rig, depending on reserve size.) So while the loop length may have been long in that it allowed for slack when packed, Aerodyne has done a very poor job in showing what length it should be according to the manual.

-- For the first time, we see that this was a case of popping the reserve with the main in place. The first photo in the pdf is a good example of how the main can interfere: The main side flaps just slightly overlap the stiff reserve bottom flap, making it harder to lift up. That flap in turn adds resistance to the reserve side flaps, which in turn resist the pilot chute.

At least Aerodyne attended to the matter quickly and tried a variety of tests, and had the pilot chute always fire. Although they got limited info from Sweden, both of their claims as to the cause of the problem are a bit weak. To summarize: a) it isn't clear if the reserve was activated the unconventional way they said b) it isn't clear how much slack there was in the loop, and their own claims on what the loop length should be do not match their own manual

A rig type Aerodyne Icon was activated at regular service by wire to the spare pin was pulled. Spring pilot became prominent left in the rig without tripping. Only after the external influence by pulling reservcontainerns bottom flap, the pilot jumps out of the casing. Current controller packed system has followed Aerodyne Research Icon manual and the tolerances recommended therein.

Pending the outcome of the investigation that has been initiated by the manufacturer Aerodyne Research to determine the cause of the incident, all Aerodyne Research Icon been coated with hopes peak since 23 nov 2012th

The manufacturer has now taken his expected responsibilities and conducted an investigation. This shows that there is materielfel or defects, nothing in the report suggests that it would happen again. SFF Materials Committee renews hence its position.